Vincy SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT PAPER.pdf

Running head: SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT PAPER 1

Spiritual Discernment Paper

Liberty University

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Abstract

Counselors and counselors in training must be not only be aware of their personal values, but

also they must be aware of how those values can influence their current or future career in

counseling. Counselors must recognize the potential for bias and respond in a way that does not

push their values on to clients. Religious and spiritual values are a particular topic that

counselors in training need to be aware of in order to not impose their values on future clients.

Individuals who are seeking counseling want to be able to walk into the session and be heard and

explore approaches to spiritual discernment in order to become a well-rounded and unbiased

counselor in the future.

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Spiritual Discernment Paper

Individuals who are seeking counseling come from a variety of different backgrounds

that may differ from the background of the counselor. As counselors, it is crucial to understand

how are values not only affect how we counsel, but also how they can affect our clients.

According to the American Counseling Association (2014) that counselors must be aware of their

personal values and avoid imposing those values on their clients. Counselors are also responsible

for respecting the diversity of their clients. This also pertains to religious and spiritual diversity.

Personal Position

After taking the survey at the end of Horton’s (2009) article, seven of those factors were

having a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In the criminal justice system, common sense is

used often when making decisions.

The next factor that is very important to me when making decisions is considering the

circumstances and looking for doors of opportunity. One thing that I have always contemplated

when making decisions is the circumstances surrounding it. For example, before taking a job

offer, I would look at the circumstances surrounding it and the current situation that I am in.

Would I have enough time to complete my assignments for school? Would this job open doors to

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other opportunities? Or would it be a dead end job for me? It is very important to me to consider

the circumstances before making a decision.

Consulting with wise counsel is also important to me when making decisions. I can learn

from other individuals’ decisions and gain knowledge and advice from their wisdom. I think this

stems from all of the knowledgeable individuals that I have met over the years. For instance, I

have met so many extremely wise professors while in my undergraduate program and during my

time at Liberty University. Wise people hold a lot of knowledge and can offer advice and

interests. I have always been the person that tells people to do what makes them happy and I also

follow this advice. Over the past few years, I have made some difficult decisions regarding

opportunity to complete an internship at outpatient facility working with a clinical psychologist. I

came to the conclusion that I was better suited to become a mental health counselor and that I

was much more interested in counseling. I put my desire and interests first in this situation in

order to be happy.

Considering our personal strengths, talents, and abilities is also important in the decision

making process. We should always put our strengths and abilities to good use. I believe that if we

are good at something, then we should do it.

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Recognizing and responding to the needs of others is another decision-making factor that

I think is very important. I believe this stems from my personality and again, my desire to help

others. I have always been the person that puts other people first. I have always made sure that

those around me are happy and I always try my hardest to help people whenever I can. This is

also reflected in my choice of profession as a mental health counselor.

The approach to spiritual discernment that I would most likely follow is the pragmatic

Christian group within the wisdom approach, based on the decision-making factors that I think

This approach emphasizes the need to make decisions in accordance with God’s general will.

This group may use the Bible to help with decision making but other factors are of more

wisdom approach (Horton, 2009).

I would most likely follow the wisdom approach compared to the bull’s-eye approach for

several reasons. First, I do not believe that God has a direct and concrete plan for all individuals.

Rather, I believe that we can look to God and the Bible for guidance, but they are not our

deciding factors in life. I believe that we all have a purpose or calling in life and it is our job to

discover what that is, knowing that God will be there every step of the way. When looking for a

direction, I believe that we must use common sense, evaluate our interests, consult with wise

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counsel, use are strengths and abilities, and recognize the needs of others. All of these beliefs

align with the pragmatic Christian wisdom group within the wisdom approach.

Past and Present Influences

Many past factors throughout my childhood and early adolescence could have potentially

influenced my approach to spiritual discernment. First, my religious background and spiritual

heritage is sparse. I grew up in a Catholic family who very rarely went to church. We would go

to church for mass on Christmas eve, Ash Wednesday, and Easter. In addition, we did not pray or

my first communion. All of these factors may have influenced my approach to spiritual

discernment.

She gave me my Bible and would always say “whatever you do, do it knowing God is with you”.

While I may not have a very personal relationship with God, I always remember that saying from

grandmother and it brings me peace.

I have always believed in God, but I have never had a personal relationship with him. I

do not go to church, I do not pray or read Scriptures. With that being said, I fully respect the

spiritual and religious practices of others and understand how those values and practices can

impact their decisions.

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I have always wanted to help others. Even when I was a little girl. My mother always said

that I wanted to be a doctor for the longest time. She said that I had a white coat that I used to put

on and I would help my stuffed animals by putting Band-Aids on them and wrapping their legs

with gauze. In my undergraduate years, I started off majoring in criminal justice. During my first

semester, one of my professors called me into his office and told me that my paper was biased.

He said that I had a “soft heart” and that it was obvious that I wanted to help others. He

suggested double majoring in psychology. I took his advice and always believed that I had taken

influential to me and helped me find my calling.

One of the reasons I chose to pursue my Master’s degree at Liberty University was

is consistent with personal values. As a counselor, I want to be aware of my values but also be

able to understand other individual’s values in order to help them more efficiently.

I truly believe that everyone was put on this earth to make significant contributions to

society. According Blake, Bradshaw, and Dougherty (2016), workers enjoy their workplace more

and have a more favorable attitude toward their job if they perceive their work as a spiritual

calling. Everyone has a calling and I do believe that God has helped me discover me calling of

helping those in need.

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Practical Application

As a counselor, my personal position may influence how I address this client’s concerns

because I do not have a personal relationship with God. In order not to impose my beliefs and

values on this client, I will need to remember that this client may have an established

relationship with God which could be influencing her decisions. Kocet and Herlihy (2014)

suggest using ethical bracketing in order to not impose personal values and beliefs on the client.

Ethical bracketing involves disconnecting our personal values from professional values to ensure

Adams (2012) states that “counselors should review the competencies for addressing religious

and spiritual issues that were created by the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious

that family responsibilities, finances, and cultural background may influence how strongly

individuals feel about finding their calling and pursuing it. I will also need to determine if she is

unsure about her calling because of family pressures. For instance, some families have high

standards for careers and callings which can influence a student’s expectations about their calling

(Adams, 2012).

I will also have to have a better understanding of her relationship with God and her

perception of his will by asking her what she believes God’s will in her life is. It will also be

important to hear her perception of a calling. According to Adams (2012), in the past, a person’s

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“calling” was seen as coming from God, but a more secular view of “calling” has come about in

which a calling is seen as coming from within the individual. If she believes that it is important

to have a calling, I will ask her about her skills and abilities from past work situations and

determine if she relied on God in her vocational past. From this information, I will be able to

better understand if she believes she has a calling or if she is still searching for a calling. An

assessment tool that I could use is the Brief Calling Scale (BCS) (Adams, 2012). The answers

that she gives to these questions and the results of the Brief Calling Scale will give me, and

address her religious and spiritual identity to understand if her calling is coming from God or

somewhere else. She may view that choosing a major is part of the process of discerning God’s

This will help me determine the best way to help the client. If her current level of meaning in life

is low, I will help her relate meaning to her current situation and general life. It may also be

necessary to address issues surround her identity and self-worth. Adams (2012) states that some

students may be called to do something in particular, but may be having difficulty finding their

place in society and identifying themselves.

Also, to help this particular client understand her calling, I could have her assess her skills

and abilities. This will help her to consider how her calling could benefit society (Adams, 2012).

It is important for me to help this client understand that all careers benefit society in some way.